episode_0006

Groooooan!

A piercing scream echoes from the morning breeze.

Upon hearing that dreadful sound revealing the cruel face of Daesurim, I quickly opened my eyes and grabbed the dagger I had placed by my head.

“Why all this commotion from early in the morning today?”

The source of the sound wasn’t too far from the house.

I glanced out the window, half expecting the demon causing the screams to come running this way, but fortunately, there was no sign of any approaching danger near the house.

With the scream being the last sound, and no movement coming from where it originated, it seemed like a false alarm.

Seems like I thought there would be a surprise attack event even from the morning.

Setting aside the tense grip on the dagger, I placed it back on the bed and took out some vegetables from a basket, chewing on them like a salad.

The sharp taste wakes up my weary mind.

Focusing on the direction where the scream came from, I squinted my eyes.

“Today feels rather strange.”

Unlike the usual bustling atmosphere, Daesurim was unusually quiet.

It’s as if a murderer no longer felt the need to disguise themselves and revealed their true identity.

That chilling silence gave me goosebumps, making me cautiously close the window, feeling a growing sense of unease.

“Sigh.”

I let out a subdued sigh while drawing the curtains.

What kind of mess is about to unfold this time?

Living so ordinarily already feels like a hassle; do we really need more trouble than this?

Shaking with anger at the author’s dirty tricks, I hastily speculated on what event might prompt me to get up in a hurry.

Although many details have been distorted since the possession of the witch’s body, a simple deduction should still be possible.

As I briefly recalled the detailed settings of Daesurim, I soon understood the reason for the eerie silence that had descended upon it.

“Someone has come to Daesurim.”

Yes, this time someone has intruded into Daesurim.

To borrow an expression from novels, Daesurim has begun hunting these intruders.

Isn’t it strange that the hunted intruders are not resisting fiercely?

There must be a reason behind this silence.

Whether they are subdued before rebelling or show such overwhelming force that it crushes the will of the opponent without even a chance to resist.

Anyway, that’s not the most important thing right now.

Who entered Daesurim and what intentions they hold are more crucial.

In the worst case scenario with a survival rate below 1%, the treacherous Southern Daesurim.

The intruders came knowing its fearsome reputation.

“I can roughly guess who they might be… But, even so, could they really have come?”

Shaking my head in disbelief, I deny the thoughts.

The lunatics from Gogyuk are unlikely to be the ones who came to Daesurim.

Surviving with intact bodies defies extreme odds.

Moreover, one of the villagers must possess the ‘token of grace’ for it to be possible.

Even meeting the first condition is as likely as being struck by lightning, so how could those madmen set foot in Daesurim?

“Furthermore, even if they met all conditions, it’s unbelievable that they would enter without any preparation due to a sudden interest in the witch. No matter how much they dislike witches, it just doesn’t make sense, right?”

No matter how many times I consider the possibilities, it seems impossible.

I chuckled wryly and began to think of other groups or entities that could have come to Daesurim.

But…

Thud!

At the strong knocking on the front door, I couldn’t help but snap out of my thoughts.

…Did I just hear a very dull sound?

Curiosity cautiously raised my head, but I refrained and distanced myself from the front door, sensing that opening it might lead to unnecessary entanglements.

So I kept telling myself that I didn’t want to open the door, shaking my head repeatedly, but my curiosity, once piqued, wouldn’t leave me alone.

[After all, we have to go out to gather food today, right? Is it okay to take a quick look around outside before going out?]

[Let’s just open it for a moment, just a moment. We can just check what it is and then close it immediately, okay?]

Originally, the witch’s curiosity was more intense than any other race.

As curiosity relentlessly prodded my investigative urge, I began to feel a parching thirst.

“Really, should I just check for a moment? No, how can I check when I don’t even know what’s there? But I am curious… Absolutely not, curiosity is poison to survival.”

My curiosity had become so serious that I was now debating with myself.

As I began to sense that I was gradually losing my mind, I eventually succumbed to intense curiosity, raising the white flag quietly as I pulled back the curtain.

Creak!

The view outside the window was as peaceful as ever in the vast forest.

Deciding that there didn’t seem to be any immediate danger, I approached the front door directly, heightened my guard, and cautiously opened the door.

Thud.

Creak—

As the door slowly opened, something sinister loomed through it.

And, stunned by the horrific sight, I forgot to even close the door as I stared blankly at it.

“…”

It seems like the scale of this situation might be too much for me to handle.

Indeed, it’s probably better to just pretend not to know rather than complicate things by meddling unnecessarily, right?

Just as I was about to make that decision and close the front door, the sinister figure suddenly reached out and grabbed my ankle, pleading for help in a voice tinged with impending death.

“Please… Please help me…”

With blood trickling from her lips, she begged for life desperately.

Her appearance seemed as if a soul risen from hell was seeking a companion to join her, leaving me frozen in terror, unable to do anything but…

“Screaaaam!!!”

I could only let out a scream with a pale face.

—–

After screaming for a while, I finally regained my composure and brought the bloodied figure inside.

Not out of mere pity, but because she seemed to have a lot of potential uses if kept alive.

She was fundamentally a human from outside the forest.

Naturally, she must have a lot of valuable information, and with luck, she might even provide information related to the protagonist.

The only downside was that if this woman turned out to be a priestess or a witch, it might cause a stir among the people of the church, but that shouldn’t be a significant issue.

She’s someone who values her own life enough to beg for it from a witch, an enemy no less.

Being so obsessed with life, would she really cause trouble in the witch’s home ground?

I don’t think so.

She would do anything to survive and return, no matter how humiliating it may be, even if it means becoming a slave to the witch.

“By the way… She’s really pitiful.”

Looking down at the church’s devotee lying on the floor, I felt a pang of guilt.

Why couldn’t the author give the witch some satisfaction?

Could it be that they were tormented by a witch in a past life?

It seemed highly probable.

It’s too extreme to call this a comedy.

It’s an unbelievable story that despite all odds, the church sent personnel to the forest.

Even if you stretch credibility, how could those kids come back unscathed from the magical realm?

“This torment is almost an art form, damn.”

Sighing in disappointment, I looked down at the unconscious priestess.

This woman must have come to the forest under orders to ‘kill the witch.’

If I leave her like this, she’ll probably wake up and try to attack me as soon as she regains consciousness.

Upon recalling the memory of seeing the rope, I rummaged through the drawer to find out if my memory was correct. In the drawer, I was able to discover a sturdy rope.

If it’s this strong, she won’t be able to break free with her insignificant strength.

Satisfied with its durability, I began to tightly bind her with the rope.

To ensure no futile thoughts, I used the most reliable method I knew.

“Phew, that was tough.”

After completely subduing the bewildered priestess, oddly enough, a sense of fatigue slowly crept over me.

…I’ve had enough sleep, so why is this happening? Could it be something I ate yesterday or today?

After careful consideration, it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with what I ate.

I’ve been consuming only food that has been verified as safe on the first and second days.

“Ughhh…”

Just as I tried to fall asleep upon seeing the priestess waking up, the heaviness of fatigue weighed down on me too much.

I need to stay awake; if I fall asleep now, misunderstandings will arise again…

In an attempt to shake off my drowsy mind, I tried to find the vegetables I had eaten earlier, but unfortunately, I couldn’t locate them. Eventually, I fell asleep with the sack in my arms.

And when I woke up again.

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!!”

The priestess, looking extremely enraged with tears welling up in her eyes, was glaring at me.

…I’m not quite sure why she’s so upset.

Nevertheless, one thing seemed certain—it was all screwed up.